The Missing Piece in the Hell Debate
Ever since I became aware of the conditional immortality position a few years ago, I’ve been seeking to understand it better. I have listened to its proponents argue their case wondering if they might be right.
But as I have read articles and watched videos on the topic, especially in recent months since the explosion of what has become known as Kirk Cameron’s ‘Hellgate’ as different sides have interacted, I’m yet to be satisfied with the conditionalists claim. I will be honest; if it is true, it would certainly make the doctrine of hell easier. But I need to be convinced by scripture, not the desires of my emotions.
For me, I need to reconcile how scripture talks about and describes the second death. Revelation 20 says that the experience of the second death, as symbolised by the lake of fire, is one of torment forever and ever. Yet the conditionalists claim that since this is the second death, it must mean the cessation of existence. How do we reconcile this?
It dawned on me that key to this debate is the biblical definitions of life and death. A key verse in the debate is Romans 6:23 - “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Both sides can cite this same passage and both use it to support their position. Thus defining life and death is an important part of this debate, yet I have yet to see either side explore this. And it’s for this reason that I decided to research the question: what does the Bible say about life and death, and how does this shape our understanding of the final judgement?
What I found was significant. While the Bible does indeed present the terms in a quite literal sense, the Bible also used the terms more figuratively to describe a certain quality of life. And this is certainly the case for Revelation 20. But if this is just symbolic, then in order to be consistent, we would need to question whether a number things said about eternal life, such as no pain (Rev 21:4), are simply symbolic too.
I decided to put this research into my latest video for two reasons. The first is I wanted to invite the conditionalist to respond with an explanation and present the stronger argument to help me understand better and potentially reconcile that conflict. This will help provide my second goal, which is to contribute what I think will be a significant step in this debate.
You can find my video here
I hope that it blesses you and helps you with your own understanding of Scripture.
I don't think Revelation is a good place to derive clear doctrine. I understand why people who believe in eternal torment quote it, as it is the only clear passages that mention eternal torment. However, we know from the rest of the descriptions in Revelation that it is difficult to interpret them clearly. All Revelation 20 says is that Satan, the beast, and the false prophet will be tormented forever. Everyone else will be consumed by fire.
And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The Beast and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire before.
And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
We see that “these two” are thrown into the lake of fire. Later Satan is thrown into this lake too.
A few verses later, death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire. Is this also to be understood literally? Are death and Hades real entities that can be thrown somewhere?
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Here we read that those who are not written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire, but it is not said that they, death, and Hades will suffer eternally. It would also be difficult to imagine that the realm of the dead could suffer.
Isaiah speaks in chapter 66 of the corpses burning in Gehenna, Jesus takes up this image in Mark, he often speaks of the destruction of the soul, not of eternal torment. The doctrine of eternal torment is therefore on very shaky ground.